NEW! Super Chronicles
by Ribbit-Rabbit
Summary: Karin never saw Ichigo again after he jumped out her window that night. And with disastrous consequences. Ichigo looks for the one person who hasn't deserted Karin to help his sister, but is Hitsugaya up to the task of saving persons mind, not body? HxK
1. Chapter 1

Yo! I know, I know, even if you didn't know, I haven't written anything since last year. GASP I'm a terrible person! Although, you could probably guess that if you're reading this story.

Pairing: HitsugayaXKarin

With a CAPITAL X!!!!

But you know the drill; I don't own these darling characters.

Sterile white walls, (hopefully) sterile clothes, and a nice big sterile fucking door. A dark haired girl with noticeably pale skin sat on her beyond sterile white sheets on her oh-so-sterile metal spring mattress bed. Its wonder how fast she became accustomed to all the… sterility? Or maybe the occasional screams of that girl next door to her in her own little sterile white wonderland. Who knew she'd become near best friends with that screaming freak on the other side of her sterile white wall? She suffered from what someone might say Satan-knows-what, because in this place, it became much too clear that there was no benevolent being of a higher power.

But then, Karin Kurosaki, patient #218, never did believe in all that religious bullshit. As her public therapist said, "Patient #218 is… progressing along her own path." It was unfortunate that the Clinics' Therapist didn't give a damn, but that made it easier for our favorite soccer-player to spoon-feed her shit about "finding her way back to her beloved ones." They could rot for all she cared.

Fortunately, she had a reason for hating them. She supposed that it might have stemmed from her father not fighting against this "treatment" or her twin, Yuzu for not trying to reason with her father, and from their sappy "I can't live without you, I miss you!" letters. If they really missed her, they would know that Saturday was visitation day. Same for the Holidays. It sickened her to think that at one point, she clung to a desperate hope that they would one day come and save her from this smelless, tasteless, routine based hell-hole.

And then, there came her blessed Ichi-nii. Her hero. Her savior. And now, he was no where to be found. Soul Society had said he died in the Winter war, or was taken prisoner, or died in Hueco Mundo. They never really were specific. It was ok though, because she probably would have forgotten anyways, unless she already had.

She was so tired of sitting down to watery noodles suppose to be macaroni and cheese, or going to bed in an airtight room with only thoughts of tomorrow mornings anti-depressant to keep you out of the dark. Whether it was lithium or Prozac didn't matter. She usually didn't know what she was swallowing anyways.

The only up-side to this place was that when she got out, she could say that she had a clinically insane freak for a friend. She was sure the guys she used to play football with had all gone to college or had regular day jobs by now. She was after all 19. Thinking back on it, she was surprised to realize that she had been in this barred-window community for 4 years. Huh.

"I wonder if colleges except crazy people." It was ok for her to talk in here, because the walls were always there to listen.


	2. Chapter 2

OMG! There's gonna be another chapter so soon? Well, lucky you. )

Don't own Bleach.

Karin sat on the edge of her white bed, pondering the meaning of life when her bedroom door opened. It was a bit of a surprise, since it was Visitation day, and no one ever came to visit her, but she turned and questioned the presence of one of the wards as he ushered her out the door.

"Isn't it a great day, Karin-chan? You finally – "

"Don't ever address me so familiarly shit head."

"Aw, come on! I've known you for how many years now –"

"Too many."

"-and you still won't let me call you that!"

"No. You've known that I've existed, not known me for who I am."

"…Well, you could at least call me by my name instead of some vulgar –"

"Shut up, Siguru."

Siguru sighed as they continued down the blank white corridors toward the visitation rooms. She supposed they were just as white and dull as the walls that surrounded her now, but she wouldn't know seeing as she had never been in one of those rooms. For the sake of not being surprised and having time to prepare herself, she dared ask Siguru who was coming to visit.

"Well, as I was saying when I let you out of your room this morning, someone who claimed to be your brother – "

"My brother?!"

Siguru looked at her inquisitively at this statement, as he had never heard her voice so full of emotion, even though it was one of simple surprise come from her.

"Well, he didn't look like he was related to you, with his orange hair – "

Karin stopped walking, making Siguru turn back to face her fully. He gave her a little bit of time before urging her on toward those damnable rooms.

It had been a long time since she had felt so…emotional. It was the only way to describe it, because she though "alive" sounded like she had been dead, and even though she nearly had been (more than ounce) that wasn't how she had felt. It seemed almost like for the past 7 years she had been asleep, and then SPLASH! Someone had come running up to her and sprayed her in the face with nearly frozen water.

As her eternal walk down the white corridors continued, she saw a sign out of the corner of her eye reading "Visitation Center" with a nice plump yellow smiley face on either side of that abominable proclamation.

Closer and closer, she could feel old feelings of anger coming to the surface, burning away the cold grip of her surprise. Why, of all times for him to come back, had he chosen now? She assumed he had visited "home" first, so why didn't he wait until after she got out? She was finally leaving at the end of the week, so "Happier Times Care Center" could kiss her white virgin ass. It was a futile question, she knew that as soon as Isshin had told him what had happened (Yuzu wouldn't have had the courage) he would have hauled ass here.

She stopped in front of the door, and listened as she heard the Clinic therapist explaining to "Ichigo" (she was still skeptical) that she was due out at the end of the week… it struck her flat out in the face as she distantly heard Siguru knock on the door, saying she was here, when she remembered. Visitation days were Saturday. Tomorrow was SUNDAY. She was leaving tomorrow!

Unfortunately, her thoughts were crushed as she felt someone's tough, strong arms wrap around her – "Karin!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

She sat numbly next to Ichigo in the Big Cheeses office, trying to sort out her jumbled thoughts. She heard her name being called out gruffly, when a hand descended on her shoulder, she jumped and froze under the hands touch. "Karin…" She didn't look up, but when she heard Mr. Big Mac snap at her, she looked up, and stared at the pig faced man before her.

"SO, as I asked you, Mr. Kurosaki, she will be left in you're care, correct?"

"Yeah, so, is this all that needs to be done?"

"Well, seeing as she is a near adult, we just needed to know whom to contact about the finality of her release."

The two continued on with the mindless banter about phone numbers and e-mails, before all three stood, Ichigo shaking pig faces hand, following him out the door. Ichigo thanked him, much to her displeasure, and on the way out, they were followed by a group that, like Karin, were on their way to terrorizing the streets of Karakura. She could feel Ichigo's eyes on her all the way out the door, gauging her reaction.

It was winter, so there was a thin layer of ice on the ground, which had a similar effect on her as hearing of her brother's sudden appearance at the Clinic. As she turned around to look back at the white building, she caught Ichigo's eye, and they stared at each other, not knowing what to say.

Finally, Ichigo came out with a lame "You've changed…" comment. It may have been a small thing, but it drove Karin into turmoil to hear his voice. She had nearly rehearsed for this day; what to say, what to do, how to look… it all flew out the metaphorical window, but she reacted much differently than how she thought she would. It was the way her friend Lashes had said SHE would have acted, and Karin seemed to have taken the idea into more consideration then she thought she had.

Nearly as soon as the words left his mouth, she whirled on him, slamming into him with her shoulder effectively shoving him to the ground. He looked up at her, stunned, confused.

"That's all you can say?! That's IT?! 'YOU'VE CHANGED?!'"

Tears she didn't know she had been holding streamed from her eyes. She looked down at him, opening and closing her mouth several times, as all the angry words she had wanted to say had collided in her throat, and now she couldn't say anything at all.

She whipped around, hearing the security guards from the Clinic, but before she had time to even think of running or where to, a strong hand grabbed her arm, and pulled her around. She heard a braking laugh, then –

"See?! I told ja' how you'd probably react! Let's mosey the hell on outta here!"

She turned and ran, pursued by the guards through alley ways, over fences and other obstacles, her psycho friend Lashes laughing merrily the whole time. It didn't take long for the guards to fall behind - they were used to subduing trapped crazies, not pursuing them up, over, and through people's yards. That didn't stop Lashes from hurling them through the city toward the opposite end. They were in the goddamned Styx before Lashes stopped and called "Time out!" into the darkness. She had hardly noticed night descending.

"Why the fuck did you make us run all the way out here?!"

"You bother asking? The peeps over at the Clinic probably called the cops after that violent little stunt you pulled!"

"That was what you expected from me though, right? Why do you care?"

"Who said I cared?"

Karin stopped arguing after that, knowing that she wasn't getting anywhere.

"Thanks."

"Isn't that what you expected of me?"

Lashes looked over at Karin, both their panting slowing.

"I'm glad you could keep up, Karin!"

"You say it like you're surprised. I used to play soccer, and I would go crazy –

"-er"

"- without exercise, so I used to use the treadmills. How did you manage to stay ahead of me? You always said you hated the little sweating room."

"I did! So, I started flippin' my bed over on its side and leanin' it on the wall. I'd do pull ups on the sexy legs of the bed!" She winked as she added 'sexy'. Crazy bitch.

"And running exercises?"

"My many escape attempts."

Karin snorted. It was a wonder she only spent 4 years and 6 months there. It was on one of her many escape attempts she had met her, but that memory was for another time.

"So why are we all the way out here?"

"So we can gather provisions!"

…

"…provisions?"

"Provisions!"

As she said this, she pointed at the house who's backyard they now stood in.

"…were going to steal food? Why this specific hou -"

"It's not stealin' if you tell em' and it's not burglary –"

She walked up to the door and pulled a spare key from under the mat.

" – if you don't break in!"

Karin watched dumb-founded as Lashes unlocked the door, and held it open for her. She approached cautiously, and after she was inside, Lashes gently shut the door behind her. She pranced into what appeared to be a computer room and snatched a purse off the floor near the desk. Filing through it, she pilfered a dark brown leather wallet, hading it to Karin to hold. She unceremoniously dropped it back on the floor, then proceeded to a small closet to collect a large plastic garbage bag. Before Karin could ask, she walked back through the computer/study room, through the kitchen toward the fridge.

Lashes had the right idea about how she was going about this. Most important things first, so if you need to run, you can without it being a wasted effort.

"You've been planning this, haven't you?"

"Aren't you glad I did?"

She continued shoving nonperishable foods into the bag, while Karin looked around. It was an ok house, not too big not too small. Again, before she could finish her examination, she was lead off to the bathroom where Lashes started raiding the medicine cabinets. She took every pill bottle and syrup she could find, and even remembered to "pack" toothbrushes, floss, and hairbrushes. Next on their list was Lashes' room. She was left to wait outside while she gathered clothes (she assumed) and whatnot. She reappeared not minute later dumping jeans, underwear, sanitary pads, and anything else a girl on the run wants.

It was unfortunate that the bag was nearly busting at the seems, so Lashes got 3 more bags and put 1 of the bags around the outside of the quickly disintegrating one.

"Why do we need all the clothes and things like make up? Are we going to sell – "

"We'll need jobs fool! And new do's so I figured I bring my hair dyes and shit."

"Good call."

"I've been plannin' this, haven't I?"

She was confused again when she heard the remaining 2 bags rustle at Lashes side. Her question was soon to be answered, as when they were leaving Lashes took a detour to a lone shed in the back corner. Hefting the old wooden door aside, she proceeded to toss old blankets and sleeping bags into the remaining 2 bags. When both were full, she put the keys in her pocket and tossed the bags over the wall street-side. Before Karin started heaving herself up, Lashes stopped her. She looked curiously back at her friend who handed her a smooth decorative rock.

"Lashes, what's this for? Pleeeeaaase don't tell me you want to –"

"- practice softball pitches?"

"This IS you're "loved one's" house, isn't it?"

"Well, to avoid prolonging the inevitable, shall we?"

She raised her rock behind her, and Karin copied the action.

"Say the word, Lashes."

"Before we do this, I want you to know that it means a lot that you're doing this with me. Like a bonding ritual or somethin'. So, if you ever want my help, know that I've probably already taken care of it."

"Thanks. I'll be calling that in pretty soon."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Rocks can do a lot more damage than one would think when they are thrown with emotion and good fuckin' aim.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

After hauling ass with their "provisions" on their back, Karin and Lashes took shelter in the only suitable place – under a bridge by the famed river with no name. As a precaution against having their food, money, and virginity stolen they slept in shifts. Naturally, Lashes insisted on taking the first shift, which turned out to be all night.

Well, that was a LONG ass chapter! Anyways, I know I haven't explained what Karin and her Psycho bitch friend Lashes look like, but their more descriptive descriptions will come next chapter. Lucky you!


	3. Chapter 3

Next chappy! Hopefully, I'll be able to update on a regular basis… that probably won't happen, but it's a white lie or wishful thinking, or whatever.

Don't own Bleach. I'm sure you're glad, based off of what you read in the first chapter D!

Karin, caught unsuspecting and unaware in a deep sleep was suddenly reminded of the past in a more hellish and grotesque version than what had actually happened. While she slept, Karin began feeling and reliving some of her most painful moments –

Ichi-nii's soul leaping from his body, his discarded shell crumpling to the floor in a heap… his back to her as he drifted out the window with a purpose she would never appreciate. Not now, at least. But in Karin's screwed up little head, her nightmare/flashback continued. It was distorted and sounded almost scratchy, but she could know see herself waking up, eating breakfast, going to school, and the like in her daily routine but with a slight unease that her friends and family picked up on. It was downhill from there.

Images of days going to school, eating, playing soccer, etc. melted through her mind as she slept, her brain turning them into a senseless mush that gave Karin a sinking feeling, like she was reliving all her hours, days, weeks, months of waiting and slowly but surely becoming more and more hopeless. Depression wasn't appropriate to what she had felt after Ichi-nii's disappearance. It was more like a sinking feeling, like feeling all your blood drain out your eyes, nose, and skin – everywhere, making you deaf and blind, nerve dead to the point of paralysis, until you couldn't eat or sleep.

She no longer paid half attention to her teachers, because she no longer attended school. After she started failing her classes and moping about, her teacher(s) had contacted her father to ask about this abrupt and disturbing change in her behavior. After her father and twin had reprimanded her on daring to think Ichigo had died or disserted, she stopped attending school. Period. Finished and fed up with her teachers sticking their noses where they didn't belong.

It turned out that the country really did do something about kids who didn't attend school. Her teachers had notified the principal, and he had written to Child Services or Social Services or whomever it was that cleaned up minors and the shit that they did. So, one day, some bitch and her assistant came poking around her father's clinic, looking for clues as to why this child was no longer attending school. As it was, Isshin told them it was because her brother had run off and left her behind and she was just depressed. They said "Get her ass in school or she and her sister are out of here."

It turns out that she would leave her home in a… different way.

By the end of 4 months, Karin Kurosaki was no longer playing soccer, because she didn't eat anymore food than was necessary to stay alive. Usually she and her friends always went to play soccer as soon as school let out, but after Ichi-nii's disappearance she slowly stopped playing to her full ability until she stopped going to play all together. Her friends had questioned her about it until she stopped playing and talking with them, but they persisted to the point where she stopped going to the park or anywhere else they might turn up. Word spread fast about Karin and her bizarre demeanor.

Back on the subject of how she ended up in "The happiest place in Karakura", well… she remembered waking up in the hospital with a concussion, maybe a few broken limbs and someone yelling at her about flinging herself off the Clinic roof. It didn't matter anyway – it was either be eaten by hollows because of her more noticeable reiatsu, or suffer through life with the loss of another dear one. At least she hadn't cried.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

She was awoken gently by the sun's bright rays stealing silently through the beams of the bridge. She looked up to find Lashes watching the sun come up. She had a look of calm, but it was the kind that came right before a storm. But as soon as the thought passed through her mind, Lashes sensed her and looked down but with the same calculating look in her eyes. She had never seen Lashes under sunlight, and now it became how plainly bizarre she looked. At least under the artificial lights of the clinic she looked like someone you expect to find in a crazy house, so you're eyes seemed to slide away.

Her thoughts were breached as Lashes slowly lifter a single eyebrow with purpose – stating a question that was all too clear. But besides who bizarre and calculating she looked she looked –

" – like shit?"

…

"Someday, I'd really like to know how you do that."

"Well, unfortunately someday isn't today! It's time for you're MAKEOVER!!!"

At that, whipped out a pair of scissors; so that's what she had been plotting!

"Don't worry; you won't recognize that it's you, so no harm no foul!"

But instead of using the scissors, she tossed them onto the grass and before Karin could register confusion at this, she was tossed into the river.

"Good! Now, after you rinse off all of yesterdays dirt and grime –"

" – with MORE dirt and grime?!"

"–we will proceed!"

Karin started clawing her way back up the embankment when something gooey was dripped into her hair. It was kinda cold, but when Lashes started rubbing it through her hair she screamed –

"Don't I even get to pick which color?!"

"Didn't you say at some point you wanted to try having red hair?"

She stopped her temper tantrum at this; it would be cool to have red hair! After a small head massage, Lashes told her to rinse her hair out a little," - just a dunk." She came back up to find a blanket and a hand waiting to help her out, and when she was nice and snug in the blanket, she felt Lashes start to comb out her hair.

She was handed a small mirror/brush meant for a handbag and stared. She looked so awesome! She always knew red hair was the look for her, but nobody had ever listened! She looked over at her blonde – haired counterpart and grinned.

"Well, now that you're pleased, I'm gonna get to doin' my own." She jumped into the water, but not far enough to be carried downstream and started humming in mock relaxation. She didn't spend very long in the water due to it's frigid temperatures, but at least the ice had melted away from the streets yesterday. It never did get cold enough to snow in Karakura… Lashes crawled onto the bank and muttered a "Thanks for helping" reply when Karin looked over and realized she hadn't returned that favor. Lashes waved off the blanket that was offered and instead asked for a bottle of black.

"You're not going to dye you're whole head black, are you?!"

Her answer was being slapped in the face when Lashes lipped her head over and started rubbing the underside of her hair black with the ooze. After she did the bottom, she rubbed the tips of her hair until they were nearly dripping with the dye. With the remaining black on her hands, she ran random streaks into her hair. After she finished rinsing her hair and being beached like a whale, she brushed it out.

"You look – " She stopped herself from saying different and making Ichigo's mistake.

" – bizarre!"

It turned out to be the answer Lashes wanted, because she beamed to Karin.

"Now all we need to do is get dressed!"

Karin looked at her like she was inhumane before her train of thought was crushed.

"Slip into you're clothes while you're in the sleeping bag ranch-dip!"

"…oh."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Not long after both crazies were finished with their preparations clothes, make-up and all, Karin and Lashes stopped to take a short break to gather their thought on where to look for jobs. They looked up at the sky lying back on the grassy hill of the embankment when something caught Karin's eye. It was a small dark splotch, and she was just about to dismiss her terrible thoughts and doubts when the splotch was suddenly two, then three, until it looked like the sky was paper being burned through. As soon as it was there, it was gone, and in it's place stood a monster the likes of which she had hoped and disappeared off the face of the earth like she.

She sat up abruptly when it opened wings on its back that looked like wasp wings and stated buzzing down for a meal.

"God dammit! I though the pills would have gotten rid of those fuckin' things! What a big ass bug!"

She looked incredulously at Lashes.

"You can see them?!"

"Yea, s'what got me locked up nice and tight when one attacked me in the school bathroom and blew up all the stalls."

There was a beat, then –

"Wait, so I got locked up because o' something that they couldn't see?! That's fucked up right there! What about all those people that thought they saw ghosts?!"

"They were right – "

As Karin watched, the wasp/thing circled in the distance, then came buzzing their way. Karin hoped at first it would turn away, but as that became a false hope, she pulled Lashes up to her feet and dragged them both down under the bridge. That too was futile, but as Karin was starting to pull Lashes away, the beast began to speak –

"I've been lookin' for YOU little lady!"

It started walking slowly forward, backing the both of them against the wall under the bridge all the while complaining about what a pain it had been to find them. It was standing directly above them before it leaned down and inhaled deeply.

"Yesssssss! That's what I've been searchin' for!"

Just as the beast was rearing back to strike at them, a deep gash formed along it's belly, spilling guts and gore along the ground, a few legs collapsing around it. It shrieked that otherworldly shriek, but just as it's body began disintegrating, a fat little bug scuttled away, escaping through a portal to shinigami-know-where.

As Karin looked up, she expected to see Ichigo, but instead…


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry I haven't updated! I know you don't care about my excuses, so Imma just present the next chapter…

"Who the fuck're you?!" Karin cried, pointing a finger accusingly at their rescuer.

"Apparently not who you were expecting! Geez, you could at least be a little grateful…"

"And why should I?" "- Yea! Why should _we_?" The way Lashes accentuated the 'we' part made Karin feel like she had someone at her back. And what a reliving feeling it was.

"Let's have a look-see at who you are, why nobody else can see you, and why the fuck you're sword so kinky lookin'."

"Don't call Zabimaru _kinky_!"

"Why not? It's only as kinky as it's owner…"

"I'm not kinky either! And I don't – "

" – care what you say because you're a kinky man-whore and so is you're fuckin' sword zabi-fucks-its-name!"

"ENOUGH!"

Karin was slowly reigning in her anger after her outburst; she was going to have to practice her anger-management. But that was for another time when her anger might not solve whatever problem was at hand.

"I think we both deserve to know yo -"

"- kinky man-whore's-"

"- name. You did after save our asses."

The man went on to explain that his name was Renji and that her brother Ichigo had sent all of his friends looking for her. She wasn't surprised by this, or by Lashes insisstance on nick-naming him McGriddle the Man-Whore. She had hypothisized that he had been whoring around in the area when he saw them in distress.

Renji had insisted that she go home to her family, but Karin had rounded on him and declared that she was no-longer apart of the Kurosaki family. Renji looked stunned at this outburst before he himself lost his temper and angrily tried to explain how worried Ichigo was. Lashes had sat down in the dirt and started writing random characters until she suddenly jumped bolt upright and screamed –

"Zac Tilhmui and Renji Man-Whore! Stop fighting!"

…

"…Zac Tilhmui? Who's that?"

"That's you're new name, silly poop! And on that note, me n' Zac are gonna take our leave now, and you can tell Ichigo that Karin Kurosaki died today and that all of you's failed to save'er!"

Upon this declaration, Lashes turned a stunned 'Zac' away from 'Renji the Man-Whore' who wore a similar expression on his face. Just as the newly-born Zac was sitting down, Renji shook off his confusion and advanced on the pair.

"Ichigo said to use force if necessary to bring you back."

He hadn't drawn his sword, but he stood rigid and prepared for anything when Lashes stood up and frowned.

"At least give us a head start!"

Renji stopped and stared, then pointed at her saying," You're screws are loose!"

"Wha!? Which ones?!" Lashes started digging frantically at her head and knees as Renji slowly walked around her toward Karin. He kneeled down beside Karin and just as she was about to swat him away Lashes turned around like a dradle on steroids and kicked him up under his ass right in the –

"Fix strikes again!? Oh Noes!"

By the time was sure his jewels were still attached and the same shape a before the assault, Karin, now known as Zac and Lashes, now known as Fix were long gone and at large in Karakura.

As Karin helped Lash- Fix carry the bags of provisions to a safer location, Fix held up a hand and looked around, setting the 2 bags she was carrying down and turned back to face Karin.

"So, Zac! How'd you like that little stunt I pulled?"

"First I'd like to know how you came up with my name! Why didn't you give me one back in Happier Times?"

Fix paused and looked down at the ground muttering, "Not enough dirt…" and opted to explain verbally that when she was drawing in the dirt she was actually making Karin's new name by mixing up the letters in Prozac and Lithium, Karin's two favorite medications.

"Well, that's all good, but why don't you want to be called Lashes?"

"…Well, to be quite honest, that became my nickname when everyone in the Clinic started saying I should get lashings from a whip to stop my repeated escape attempts."

"So you're reinventing yourself?"

"Exactly!"

**!IMPORTANTE!**

I know, very, VERY short chapter, but I didn't have a lot of time to update and I needed to write something before I lost interest in my story.

I already know that calling Karin Zac all the time is going to confuse people, (and me) so I'm going to use that name when I say she's doing something, like

'Karin looked over at Fix skeptically'

and when people who don't know that Karin 'died' call her Karin. But other than that, she will be addressed by characters like Fix and other crazies as Zac. Ichigo will probably stubbornly call her Karin, as will most of her past-life acquaintances. Fix (Lashes) might change her name again, but not in the near future. Note: Fix will be called Fix by people who knew her before her incarceration, and people who knew her from Happier Times Care Center will call her Lashes.


	5. Chapter 5

You knew I'd make the next one soon since the last one was short and bitter. It was good that I kept It kinda short, besuase after you're done reading this chapter, it would help me a lot if you would tell me how confusing the nick-names were and give me suggestions on how I can make it easier to understand.

Thx!

It was getting dark again by the time Fix and the newly named Zac approached the old dilapidated slide in the park. It had caution tape strapped around it's old rusted legs, and the broken, spotted chains left over from the swing set betrayed a feeling of loneliness. There were no seats left over from the swings, just the chains. There weren't any cobwebs on it due to the exposed nature of the slide-n'-swing set. As they got closer, they felt the wind pick up momentarily, and heard a faint whistling noise as they watched the left over chains swing lazily in the wind.

"So, whatcha think?"

Karin hesitated before answering.

"...You sure that thing isn't gonna fall on us?"

"Well, if it's gonna fall, it'll probably just topple over!"

The pair stood looking it over, before Fix took the last few steps toward it and closed the gap. Dropping the bag on the ground and resting one of her hands on the side of the slide, she put her other hand on her hip and turned to Karin, starting her sentence awkwardly, "So… you think we'll see anymore of the Noh-masked motherfuckers?"

Karin sighed, running a hand back through her hair before she answered, "I wouldn't say we're safe, if anything we're walking magnets for those things, but this is a pretty open area and I'm sure we'd hear it before it managed to attack us. Besides, as far as I've seen, they prefer to play with their food and mock it, so I'd say we're pretty safe from sudden deaths."

"…Well! In that case lets have us a merry ol' time setting up our hide out –"

"No you won't have a merry ol' time!"

A sudden as his voice was heard, a small skinny boy around the age of 9 strutted towards them and declared, "This is my playground! You can't just come in and set up shop!"

Fix was surprised at first, but it lasted only a second before she looked down at him and said pointedly, " Well, we aren't selling things on 'Your Property' without permission, so _technically _it's not against the law –"

The young boy looked up at her, and defiantly shouted, "Yeah? Yeah?! Well, you can't live here either! Because –"

"It's illegal. We know. But that doesn't matter cuz the cops don't enforce it!"

The young kid looked up at her before opening and closing his mouth like a fish, but there was no come-back for that one. Fix turned away from him, before saying over her shoulder, "Go home to your Moma, it's getting' dark."

The child huffed, before calling out into the darkening light for his caretaker. After a little while of screeching, Fix turned around and pushed him away with her foot spitting irritable curses under her breathe as he turned around and stuck his tongue out at her, rubbing his behind as he meandered back to his mother or whom-ever had brought that little monster to the park.

"What an annoying little fucker!"

"Agreed."

They turned back to the scrap heap and started pulling a blanket from their sac o' stuffs when the kid from before ran back up from behind Fix and kicked her in the back of the leg. She cried out in surprise more than pain and turned around, blanket in hand with a look of deadly intent in her eyes. The child pulled on his eye and stuck his tongue out at her again before turning around and running to hide behind a small old woman with graying hair and kindly eyes.

Fix eyed the old woman to see if she was going to say something before she said, "Just hand the kid over and maybe I won't mug ya!"

Karin was taken aback by her friends behavior, but the old woman just smiled at her and said in a kind old voice, "You remind me of when I was you're age… young and full of myself. But won't you stop fooling yourself and look? You and you're friend… sleeping in a park under an old slide!"

Karin was again taken aback, but wondered if this was what Fix had supposed the old woman would say before her own anger flared at the low-key affront on their situation.

"It's not going to be like for long! We're getting jobs so we can rent out a –"

"Such a pity… I thought you would say something like that."

"What do you care, old hag?! You don't know us or how we got like this, so don't act all wise n' shit!" Fix was losing her patience with the woman, and so was Karin.

The little lady paused, a hand on her chin, before answering, "But I'm not the one sleeping under a swing set in a park, am I?"

"You know what? Say what you want. Me n' Zac r' gonna set up camp under our dingy little swing set, so go back to your little hut with your freakish pet and drink a cup o' tea!"

Again the little old woman paused, but then smiled her kind little smile and said, "Why don't you come back with me? You could prove me wrong by getting jobs by the end of the week!"

Karin would have said anything along the lines of, 'No, go fuck your grandkid,' but Fix stood and puffed her chest out and with her hands on her hips said defiantly (or maybe obligingly?) "Just show us where our rooms await! Will breakfast be available?"

They had packed their blanket and followed the old woman and her grandkid home, trying to shut out his annoying protests about picking up bums off the street when they stopped at a small apartment building. As they ascended the stairs, the woman turned back toward them ounce they reached the top and handed Fix a key.

"What's this for?"

"For you're room moron!"

"I didn't ask you, you little pig!"

The woman put a hand on his head before she answered in a more appropriate and mature way, "It's as he says." She looked behind them to a door adjacent hers and said, "I am the landlord of this building, and there is your apartment. I will be expecting the rent be paid by the end of this month! I'll put it through the slot in your door tomorrow morning."

She turned away from them ignoring Fix's cries of protest and went inside her own apartment. Karin looked over at Fix, who returned her gaze, before both looked down into Fix's palm at the small bronze key that lay there. Fix closed her hand into a fist around the key before shrugging her shoulders and turning around. She walked over to the door and unlocked it, pushing the it open and standing in the doorway. She looked back over to Karin and said, "Ladies first…"

Karin looked back at her and sarcastically lolled her head to the side before bending down to pick up the two bags on either side of her. She walked past Fix into the dark room and plopped the bags down, turning half way back to see Fix picking up the remaining bag and trudging in after her. She flipped a switch by the door way and gave the room a ounce over before leaning down and slipping her plain white sneakers she got from the Clinic off her feet, and heard Fix doing the same, putting her slightly larger but identical white shoes next to their twins. The pair stepped lightly up onto the carpet and proceeded to look around. It was a simple place, like Orihime and Sado's had been before they got respectable jobs. Breifly, Karin wondered what and where they were, but was pulled back to reality when Fix called her into the bathroom and said delightedly, "Put our clothes into the drawers in those cabinets I saw when we walked in. You know the one's I'm talkin' 'bout? The one's by the kitchen?"

"Of course! I'll go do it straight away Mother!"

"Good job my little squash!"

The 'intimate' little moment was cut when Karin walked into the small living area and opened up the clothes bag and folded the clothes and under wear and everything in between into the drawers.

After the ladies had finished unpacking their three bags worth of belongings and necessities, they lay the sleeping bags out on the carpet and prepared for a well needed, not so well deserved rest.

K! So don't forget to review and tell me if the name calling was confusing. It probably wasn't seeing as Fix didn't call her by the name that often and nobody from the olden days appeared in this chapter, but they might or might not in the next! I'm still asking for you'r help on this, so don't be a douche – REVIEW! And tell me how I can improve.

I'll also be updating again soon, so we can get to the saucy parts! Lolz

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	6. Chapter 6

Ok! So, by now I've figured out that I should stop developing the characters and your familiarity to them and their problems. Now, it's time to get the HitsuKarin action on!

The moment you've all been waiting for! Lol wouldn't it suck if I said just kidding? But anyways, I wanted to wait a while before bringing Hitsugaya into this because Ichigo didn't go to soul society after he left for 7 years, so Hitsugaya would need to be sent down on some mundane thing and either bump into Karin or be begged by some other Kurosaki for help. Also, the timeline will be better explained in this chapter.

Without further ado, I bring to you –

A lone figure appeared on a roof top, white hair and teal eyes staring down at the mundane routines of the humans walking by beneath him. He sighed when his fukutaicho

appeared behind him, urging him back to the task at hand.

"Taichoooo! Helloooooooo! Do you remember where the Kurosaki's live, or have you forgotten? I'm disappointed in yo –"

"No, Matsumoto. I have not forgotten where the irresponsible substitute and his irritating family live."

"How could you say that? You're so mean sometimes! Honestly, Yuzu isn't mean or annoying! And that other one… Karin? I thought you liked playing soccer with her."

Hitsugaya Toshiro sighed, ignoring the rest of Rangiku's babbling about wether or not she had the girls names mixed up and focused on tracking down the substitute. He had been sent down to the human world to 'inquire' as to the whereabouts of Ichigo Kurosaki and where he had been for the past 7 years. No note, letter, hellbutterfly; nothing! Not a word! And then he suddenly reappears… the general –commander was keen to the thought of an imposter, and wanted him to check it out. What a stupid reason to be sent to the human world! He looked behind him to find Rangiku waiting patiently behind him.

He nodded, and they both shot off towards the Kurosaki Clinic. Along the way, Hitsugaya's thoughts again drifted… Renji had been sent to the human world on his usual rounds to check up on the area since Rukia had returned to Seireitei after Ichigo's disappearance. He had sent a simple report on Ichigo's return, but people were distrusting of this information, and of course would send someone to check it out. Incase it was an imposter…

They arrived at the clinic to find Urahara, Yoroichi and their posse, along with Renji. Sado, and Orihime were also present, as was the Kurosaki family. But there was something wrong. He recognized right away that Ishida was missing, but he knew that story already. Ishida had gone to another town for a job offer as a high-end doctor of some sort. But the other missing presence... He eyed the small crowd as they each welcomed him, and he in turn said the necessary answers to each of them in turn, but Karin… Karin was missing. Probably outside playing soccer or something. She would probably never outgrow it. He brushed it off when Yuzu offered Rangiku and he chairs and tea. It was a brisk morning, after all.

"So my favorite couple! What brings you to the human world?" Urahara got to the point quickly, and Histugaya was quick to answer.

"Investigating the sudden reappearance of Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo looked at him oddly and said, "Why would Soul Society care where I've been?"

Histugaya snorted, and snapped, "We were depending on you to keep this area clear of hollows, but when you left we were forced to step up on patrols. It wasn't a problem, but your disappearance was strange and unexplained. And now you're back, 7 years later, and without an explanation having been accounted for."

Rangiku was quick to cut in and attempt to prevent the insueing argument -

"Meaning you're friends in Soul Society were worried! We didn't know where you had gone, and Rukia was having a tantrum about you leaving –"

"So, where were you?" Hitsugaya asked impatiently.

Ichigo had been standing when they were ushered into the Clinic, but at this, he sat down and put his face in his hands, elbows on the table and said through his hands, " Training."

Everyong in the room looked a little displeased with his answer, with the exception of Sado. But even though they were displeased with this answer, there was a moment of silence with everyone focusing on Ichigo, head in his hands sitting at the table. He was in his body, that had grown skinny and pale even with Uraharas continued upkeep. He had insisted to his fellows in his shop that it was worth while, because he believed that one day in the future wether it be distant or near, Ichigo would return. He had said this, smiling and hiding under his hat and waving his fan lazily.

Hitsugaya waited a beat before restating his question, "So, where were you?"

Ichigo's head didn't leave his hands, but after a deep inhale and exhale he slowly lifted his head and repeated, "Training," he looked around at the group before continuing. "With the Vizards to help control… my… my 'inner hollow' I suppose it could be called." There were some blank stares, and some looks that only told that they were just as confused as the next guest. He went on to explain the predicament he had been in, and slowly the small crowd began to understand, except –

"Don't the Vizards use hell butterflies to travel between worlds? Couldn't they just let you borrow one to send us a message?" Renji was partially satisfied with his answer, until Ichigo said, "I thought it would be best if I stayed focused; and besides, time flies in the spirit world, and I was struggling not to –"

It was a shock what happened next. It really was, and answered one of Hitsugaya's questions. Convenient how he didn't need to ask.

"YOU were struggling?! YOU WERE STRUGGLING?! Well, let me tell YOU something, Ichi-_nii_ our family was torn apart because you didn't have the courtesy to send at least one message saying you would come back ok someday. That's it. You didn't need to tell us where you were, or who you were with, just that you were alright. And thanks to YOU, Karin bottled her feelings up inside, just like she did with Mom, and she… she-!"

Yuzu broke down, sobbing, and ran up the stairs where and audible slam marked the end of that 'conversation'.

Ichigo was again stunned – Karin was supposed to be the sturdy survivor – but when he left, she couldn't handle be depended on was that it? Ichigo was far from understanding.

Isshin had remained quiet through most of that days events, and through the last years' events, he could only sit and watch… but he knew why it had happened. He knew how, and to Ichigo he explained with tears threatening to fall.

"Karin suffered through 7 years without you, her brother, her protector, and pillar of strength. Without you, the center piece, she fell apart. She… she grew… distant. And slowly, she spiraled down through depression, until I guess she got tired of waiting and went to find you! I suppose… but when she came home from school that day, she went straight for the stairs… up to the stairs that lead to the roof. I heard a Yuzu scream and I ran outside… and Karin she… was lay-laying on the ground in this… this… disgusting position, with her head thrown back, her eyes wide open… laying on the ground in a pool of her own blood… She threw herself off the roof because she couldn't live without you."

Isshin turned away. His tears were silent. But through his tears he continued his story.

"That was about 2 or 3 years after you had left. She quit going to school, quit eating, quit talking. Ishida left in the middle of it, and Orihime couldn't even look at her. Sado… he tried everything he could and stuck it out the longest until the one word she said in a year-"

Sado had taken a heavy blow. The one word she had said in a year, and it had been a partial thought, but its demand was clear.

His deep, smooth voice surprised everyone when he interrupted Isshin and stood, saying the word as he turned leaving heading for the door. "Away." Then Sado was gone.

Isshin didn't bother saying anything more after his next sentences, his voice heavy with grief, his shoulders sagging, tears hitting the floor now in an uncontrolled stream.

"3 years of nothing, 4 years of insanity."

He too stood, slowly walking up the stairs, where a soft click sounded his departure.

Hitsugaya was dumbfounded. It was indescribable, seeing this strongly-knit family go to pieces. He was thrown into the past, thoughts of how 'immature' and 'ridiculous' this family had seemed to him as he watched their days unfold with him as a spectator. He was suddenly ashamed of ever thinking that of this family, when really, he was jealous that he had never had the chance to enjoy a full family scene and grow up a child, surrounded by people you trusted and loved. Karin had had that, but then her mother was torn from her, from all of them, and before they were finished grieving they were already hard at working repairing the gap. Perhaps they would never recover from this one.

He was at first reminded of Hinamori's reaction to learning of Aizens death, then life, then betrayal. She had lost her will to live. Even now she seemed to walk around in a trance, but it had been seven years and she was still a little disconnected. Had Karin been like that for 3 years? He had an urge to help this ailing family, but he was torn between rushing back to the Seireitei and stalking Hinamori to be sure she wasn't planning anything similar to Karin.

Well, he had to stay nad right a full report on what had happened to the eldest Kurosaki, so if they asked where he was, he could say that Ichigo was being stubborn as always…

Rangiku might or might not have read te expression on Hitsugaya's face, but either, way she jumped up excitedly yelling, "We'll help in anyway we can!"

HEHEHEH! They have NO idea what they are getting into… XD Review and tell me what's goin' through your head! DO IT!


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile... It's been a crazy few weeks, and I'm going to pile a new story onto my To - Do List. Read and review! Please...?

Two crazies walked through the crowded streets of Karakura, wandering from job offer to job offer. It had been two days since Karin and Fix had 'rented' the apartment from Baa - chan and had been on a never ending job hunt since. They sulked down the street, passing through multiple shit shacks, asking for work. They pulled a right, and headed for a near-by mall, hoping for a shining job opportunity when Fix stopped dead in her tracks, pointing with a shaking finger at a peculiar alley before running up an adjacent parking lot, Karin following slowly behind. She noted offhandedly the shady characters hanging around before following her friends frantic cries. Nobody seemed surprised, but a few did double takes in the direction Fix was heading. Old friends, or business acquaintances, perhaps? She continued on undaunted, and but when she rounded a bend what she saw made her lose a bit of her swagger.

Fix was hugging and hanging on a tall, lanky girl with a blend of punk and rave looks. She wore simple light blue jeans, but they were badly torn so much so that it looked like she was wearing nothing but strips of cloth over neon green fishnets. A long, black tank was framed with an undershirt of blue fishnet, that seemed to frame the simple curve of the tank as it followed her waist down to her hips. She wore her black hair long and straight, but when he tossed her head this way and that at Fix's antics, long thick streaks of turquoise blended though her hair, until they met visibly at the tips. It made Fix's black and blonde streaks take on a basic look, which was pointed out by her friend when she flicked at Fix's hair with a look of disappointment. As suddenly as this twist took place, Fix was by her side, leading her forward by the hand.

At first the girl said nothing, but looked her straight in the eye and reached a hand out, Fix placing Karin's hand in the strangers palm.

"This is my long lost friend Akiko Izumi, but I just call her Fruits! Isn't she a doll?!"

Karin's hand was still gently resting in Fruits palm, and Karin capitalized on her chance to make a good, strong first impression, " The name on my birth certificate says Karin Kurosaki, but you can call me Zac."

Fruits, as she was called, looked between Fix and Karin, before breaking the tension with what Karin could only call an attempt at a joke, "What do fat penguins do?"

Karin was thrown through a loop; she hadn't said 'nice to meet you', or 'good to know your still alive, hanging around with Fix and what-not', no. She made a singularly tension peeking alternative that made Karin's skin feel like snot. She could do nothing but feel out of place, but Fix didn't seem fazed. It was probably routine between the two of them, and it would make sense, as Fix was fond of bizarre routines as in performances, not planned schedule. The look on Karin's face must have served as some kind of cue, because before long, Fruits had released Karin's hand to link her arm with Fix's, and together the twirled around and stopped dead center pointing at Zac with the arms they had that weren't linked, the ones being linked finding placement on their hips and together they shouted loud enough to make the buildings and street thugs crumble, shouted,

"BREAK THE ICE!"

That had been hours ago, according to Fix, and she had tantalized Karin's taste for adventure when they followed Fruits into what appeared to be a ware house. Inside, a bunch beer sippers and trippers meandered about, setting up a stage of crates in the center of the room, placing lights and cords here and there, adjusting the position of some, and flipping switches.

"They sure do a great job setting up, don't they?"

The comment came from Fruits, who after digging at her scalp looked up above them and alerted Karin to the presence of an second level. More lights were being screwed onto the balconies above them, but just as Karin thought she had taken a good profile of Fruits, she was proven wrong. Fruits lifted herself up on one of the crates in the front of the makeshift stage, and as she turned back to face Fix and Karin, she bowed, nonchalantly pulling her hair away like a top hat and said, "Welcome to the Jungle!"

Incase you didn't know, she was wearing a wig. Why? You might find out next chappy. Whenever THAT comes out! I wouldn't all this the best, but its definitely he best of the worst for this story. Im probably going to shift between Hitsugaya and Karin while they get closer to finding each other, blending the POVs into a single chapter when they finally do meet. I wanted to focus on the new character, and I didn't put in alot of dialogue, as i was trying to add to the uncomfortable atmosphere to make Karin seem more out of place and to convey a sense that Fruits is trying to overcome a shy thing and insert herself. SO that means I'll probably make the next chap an explanation/character building thing. This was just a character introduction thing and to catch you up on Karins happenings. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

REVIEW SO I CAN GET BETTER! PLEASE!!! IM AN ASS-KISSER I AIM TO PLEASE! XD


	8. Chapter 8

I've been having family issues, but I'm sorry about the late update

I've been having family issues, but I'm sorry about the late update. Really late update. RREEEEEEEEAAAAAALLLLLLYYYY LLLAAAAAAAATTEEE UUPPPPDDDATTEEE….

Karin couldn't tell if she should be dumbfounded and stand slack-jawed or cheer and applaud (the latter being an example provided by Fix). So she turned to her default of standing slack-jawed. The buzzed bleached blonde hair underneath made Karin shiver; she had only ever seen that hair on really sick patients in the clinic. But what she heard next gave her a smidgeon of relief, if it could be called that.

"So, I see you've visited Disco and Levitate at the rehab center, no?"

Nonchalantly, Fruits flipped right-side up and replaced her hair, answering Fix through wisps of nylon strings.

"Yea, Disco was there, but I think they let Levitate out on watch… I was kinda hoping to see her there!"

Karin probably should have kept her mouth shut, but hated not knowing what people were talking about, so…

"Rehab? What for?"

Both looked at her and did one of those things crazy people seem to have rehearsed-

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Did you hear that? What for! HAHAHAHA –"

Fix stopped clutching her sides and stood bolt upright bringing her hysterical bout of laughter to an abrupt halt, cutting off Fruits' howling.

"Yeah, what were you in for THIS time?"

Fruits slowly reigned in her case of the 'giggles' and slowly brought herself out of her hunched over position to face both girls.

"I was trying out this new stuff called Cheese when I OD'd and got sent to the hospital."

"Oooooooooh…" Fix looked thoughtful for a moment, then swing to fully face Karin, slapping Fruits playfully on the back adding a nonchalant, "Well, see ya 'round the mountain!" before turning and linking arms with Karin and strolling off, waving to the shady characters who, surprisingly, waved back good-naturedly.

Over yonder, Karin heard Fruits call after them, "I'll see you in 24 hours then, corrrrect?"

The rolled R's were incentive enough, and Fix answered by raising her free hand into the air, flipping Fruits the peace sign back over her shoulder.Fruits whistled loudly as they disappeared from the alley.

"Now, off to find work!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It would be hilarious if Karin and Fix ended up flipping burgers, huh? I'm sorry it took me so long to update, I've just gotten a prescription for something I can't even pronounce, so we'll see how this turns out! 


	9. Chapter 9

I don't have an excuse for updating so late, but I will blame my stagnation in the Bleach department on the excessive use of F

I don't have an excuse for updating so late, but I will blame my stagnation in the Bleach department on the excessive use of FILLERS. FUCK!

Anyways, here. Started : 1:17 AM (I can't write at any other time /)

As Zac and Fix strolled from the shady lot, Karin turned to Fix and asked her about this, "cheese" substance.

"OH! That?! Well, see, if I had known what the fuck it was, I prolly wouldn't a OD'd, huh?"

Her peels of laughter made passers-by turn and stare. Karin just walked on, observing with an amused hop in her step. When Fix was finished, she pulled Karin aside into an alley, and sat her on a trash can. Karin looked up confused,

"…What are we doing back here?" Fix lolled her head to the side and looked slightly down, stating simply, "Updating contacts."

Karin was confused at first, but as if to answer her question, a HUGE man in a disgusting apron burst out of a side door, towing two brimming garbage bags out and a load of steam out with him. The hustle and bustle of the busy kitchen was cut off abruptly by the slamming of the door, and almost immediately, a look of bemusement fell across the fat shits features when he caught sight of Fix leaning casually on the adjacent wall, her hands behind her head.

"FIX! I haven't seen you since you crawled outta the hospital and into that junkie day-care!"

"KUJO! I haven't seen you since… umm…" Kujo waited, a grubby hand pulling on his left ear, his eyes brimming with expectancy.

"..LAST TIME I SAW YOU!"

Kujo slapped his hand down and looked at Fix offended, and turned away to shove the two trash bags into their respective garbage bins. As he turned around, he took a small metal pipe from his apron pocket.

"OH! Mind if I drop in?" Fix looked ecstatically at Kujo, that amused look coming back.

"How could I deny my best customer? I've had you hooked since you were 12!"

"Awe, shucks! I'm so glad you remembered!" Kujo sat down on the step in front of the side door with a groan, Fix sitting on his knee like a kid with Santa.

Fix looked up at Karin as Kujo wrapped his huge beefy arm around her waist and started packing a bowl by her hip. "What's wrong? Haven't you ever smoked before? Speaking of which, Kujo, you got any cigs?" Kujo pulled a lighter and pack of cigarettes from his backpocket, leaning over slightly so Fix had to put her hands around his dirty neck to keep from sliding off his greasy apron. Kujo finally seemed to notice Karin as he did this, and smiled with his corn-yellow teeth and looked down at Fix as she slipped the battered packet into her own pocket, along with the lighter.

"Who's 'is?"

"That's Zac!"

"…No explanation?

"Pshaw, those are overrated!"

"Well, I don't think so!"

Kujo stretched out a paw in greeting, saying "I'm Kujo, Fix's uncle"

Putting on her game face, Karin grabbed his hand and shook it firmly, and said, "I'm Zac, I've heard so little about you!"

Kujo guffawed, before reaching to pinch Fix's arm.

"OW! Hey, why don't cha set her down?" Fix gestured to the side of the step on her side, getting off her uncles lap to sit next to him.

Karin sat down next to Fix and watched curiously as Kujo puffed heartily on the piece and held his breath before exhaling. The strong scent of pot infiltrated Karin's nostrils, but she didn't react. What amazed her though was that they were sitting in an alley in broad day light just a bit from the main street, and nobody seemed to notice! Just outside the alley, and Ice cream vendor was selling sherburt to a kid with balloons with a pretty business woman mother, and here they were watching from an alley, smoking pot!

She had been so consumed in her thoughts, she didn't realize Fix was nudging her with the pipe, till she pressed it to her lips, Zacs hands flying up to hold it like she knew it was there all along. "You want me to light ya?" She nodded her head, Fix flipping the lighter and --

It was almost dark by the time Karin and Fix left Kujo's restaurant alley with job interviews, cigarettes, some pot and a piece.

And now the drug trouble starts! It really is true that pot is the intro drug. Anyways, I thinking of Karin and Toshiro meeting in a strange way…


	10. Chapter 10

Next chapter

Next chapter!

Fix and Karin teetered back to their dumpy apartment a few blocks down and to the right of Kujo's Restaurant. Karin didn't even know the name of the place she was hoping to find employment in, but she did know that Granny was counting down the days left they had to find jobs. It had been 3-4 days since they had first 'signed' the deal with Granny, and they needed those jobs! She wasn't sure if the old woman would actually throw them out if they didn't do as she instructed, but she didn't want to find out; Karin had noticed how shambled the building was on her first approach but the inside was clean and they had yet to notice any leaks. Besides that, the twosomes first rent payment was much lower than Karin had thought; 1,400 yen was low!

As she and Fix rambled up the stairs, Fix fished out the keys and unlocked the door, excitedly ushering Karin through the threshold.

"We have EXACTLY 4 hours until the Rave!!"

"What rave? You mean the one Fruits was setting up? That's tonight?"

"Yeah! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Fruits and Alex are coming over to cut my hair and yours!"

Karin was surprised, but then scowled;" Why am I getting my hair cut? Maybe I like it this length?"

"I never said anything drastic; just a teensy, weensy trim! Is that… _satisfactory_?"

Fix bowed her head and waggled her eyebrows at her as she said the last bit. Karin gave her a 'look' before turning her eyes down and reaching up to grasp the ends of her hair; broken and frayed, not to mention in need of a wash after being in that alleyway.

"So, they should be here around… uhh… before we leave… so let's eat! I've got to stuff something fierce after all the weed!"

Karin had learned a great deal in the way of smoking and how NOT to do it:

1) Inhale as soon as you light the lighter and place it over the bowl, or get burned.

2) Don't cough or spit because you'll look like an idiot.

3) Thinking your really stoned makes you just _that_ much more stoned.

Karin rubbed her pink thumb as she thought this, while moving with Fix to the center of the main room, sitting down on their bed rolls and opening the plastic bag Kujo had given them, filled to the brim with take-out boxes like his garbage bags. They were left-overs, but that didn't matter; Karin just needed to eat something. She hadn't had much in the way of edibles since they had first gotten their apartment, sneaking into Granny's apartment to use her microwave to make old mac n' cheese.

Fix heard Karin's stomach growl as she removed the first of many white styrofoam packages and placed it in between the two like a trapped catch. She turned it toward Karin with a flourish, and popped it open leaving Karin to reach into the bag to get a plastic spork. Inside was a pile of white rice and some beef and broccoli, along with a small side of chicken. Real food had escaped Karin's palette since her addition to the Happier Time's Family, and her eyes nearly watered at the scent. She dug in, without waiting for Fix to join. Said crazy snorted, "Your floor manners need work!"

Karin paused and looked up, as though in thought, before shrugging and returning to her feast. Fix didn't say anything, but from the sound of her slurping, she was probably preoccupied with the small covered bowl of sweet red bean soup.

When both were finished and had eaten their fill, 5 take-out boxes were empty, and both females were spread out on their loaned tatami mats. There was a few minutes of lethargically/stomach-ache induced silence, before Fix sat bolt upright and said,

"Oh shit! I forgot!!"

"Karin lolled her head to the side, saying," Whaaaaaaat?"

Fix was busy digging through one of their three 'provision' bags, and spun around after a few seconds of searching with two shirts in her hand – one was simple black, the other a yellow and blue pinstriped atrocity.

"I don't actually wear this thing, but I like to use it for one of my tricks!"

"In your case, you would be referring tooooo… the… black shirt, right?"

Fix looked between the two with pursed lips (a good likeness between she and Granny coming to light) before nodding.

Karin snorted before pulling herself into a sitting position and looked between the shirts to Fix's face.

"…And?"

Fix took this as her queue and slid the colored shirt behind the black shirt and held them that way just below her nose, her eyes watching Karin expectantly.

Karin looked at the shirts and thought back to what activities they had taken part in earlier that day with the fat garbage man.

"Was something supposed to happen? Like some optical illusion?"

Fix sighed before tossing the shirts back onto the black garbage bag they had originated from.

"Yeah, when your stoned, if you hold those shirts together, the black one copies the one behind it… but when you first smoke pot, it doesn't really effect you. Besides that, it wears off really fast."

Karin responded intelligently with, "Ah."

"It's alright though, next time we're with Kujo we'll just go smoke in a department store!"

Karin coughed at the thought as Fix got up to throw the take-out boxes in the garbage bag used for actual garbage. Not too soon after, three knocks sounded from the front door.

Fix all but ran to answer it, ushering the knockers on the other side into their domain.

Fruits was the first to enter, and looked around, examining this here and there.

"So you guys aren't totally settled yet? I thought –"

The rest of the conversation was lost on Karin as she spotted the next trespasser – a rotund young woman wearing a Tool shirt and black jeans. Plain, but effective, but her hair was anything but – a tall, thin turquoise Mohawk with long red braids hanging down on either side and trailing after.

She eyed Karin too, before stalking over and offering a hand, "Alejandra, but most call me Alex."

Karin grinned and took Alex's hand saying," Zac. My other name is below us, and behind me. Worthless to know really."

Alex's face split in two lika slash and a wide grin of cherry lipstick smiled back at Zac.

"Let's get to work, shall we, Zac?"

While Karin walked away from the affair unscathed, but with redder than red hair and a sharp, choppy cut, Fix walked away with nearly nothing. Nearly, at least. She had a small, punky phohawk, (think GAIL from sin city see bottom for link.) with a long plait braid in the back, this being all that remained of her long hair. The whole of her head was dyed simple black, but the braid stayed Blonde, like a memento. The rest of her hair was tied up in a bundle and put in an envelope.

"Alex, what are you keeping Fix's hair for?"

"Donating it. I can't just throw that stuff away!"

"Can you donate dyed hair?"

I took out the strips that were dyed black as best I could; if they use the other bits of it, it's up to them."

They had dressed before getting their super-cuts, Fix in purple jeans with simple black suspenders, but a million-hue, self-tie-dyed shirt on above that. She wore simple rlack mascara and had drawn a thunder bolt on her left cheek with liquid eyeliner, and had finished it off with bright red American 80's style lipstick. Alex was just the same as she had arrived, and fruits was wearing a half sky-blue and half white wig, the opposing colors being split down the middle in a bob style with sausage bangs. Green shorts, purple fishnet top and tights, and a tie-dyed shirt not to different from Fix's to top it off.

Karin wasn't particularly uncomfortable with what she was wearing, she just felt like she was out of her element. Before, she just wore whatever she was comfortable in, just like she was doing now, but her hair was straightened and tamed, her long eyelashes pulled to the fullest, accentuated by blue mascara and nearly Egyptian looking black eyeliner. She didn't wear any lipstick, but she had a healthy coating of gloss, and wore red jeans covered in obscene patches and a plain white tee that was invisibly coated in the guts of recently executed glow sticks.

"Those are my lucky jeans, I made them when I was 14, and wore them to any outing where I was doing something I hadn't done before! Fitting, huh?"

THE RAVE

Flashing lights accompanied by blaring techno, it was the one place Karin had ever danced in nearly her entire life, simply because here, there was no _wrong_ way to dance. People were caught up between looking like they were having controlled epileptic episodes, and what they were wearing made them seem like they were saying, "This is your brain having a seizure!"

Although, the liquor had definitely helped with the dancing part.

Ichigo had never been so agitated in his entire life; they muffled music making the roof below his feet thump dangerously. He wouldn't have been surprised if the windows shattered, and he was expecting the cops to come and roll the place right beneath his feet. Honestly, he wouldn't have it any other way. But out of those scenarios, neither happened like he had wished.

Had he not have followed his sister and her deranged friends here, he could have been tucked away for the night in his long missed body. It was quickly regaining strength, and he was as fit as he had ever been in his physical body. But noooooooooo, Karin had to go to a rave, and her friend had to kick Renji in the balls and called him names so he wouldn't follow her tonight. As Ichigo was berating Renji and the every-thumping music below him, Karin disappeared into the building. Panicking, Ichigo leaped down to the entrance and walked past what looked like a ticket booth. Since his corporeal form couldn't be noticed, he walked in without much trouble, but was introduced to a new problem – where was Karin? This place was HUGE, even by abandoned warehouse standards. Undeterred, Ichigo barreled into the crowd, searching heedlessly for his sister.

2 hours of fruitless searching passed, and all Ichigo had to account for his effort was a picture of his unsuspecting sister from behind, turning toward one of her friends to say something, her mouth in a natural 'O' of pre-formed speech. Ichigo soared up, through, and onto the roof of the ware house agitatedly, and sped off for home. He needed someone who could sense his sisters reiatsu, and enter the rave physically and undetected.

(copy and paste this into your address bar)

Fix's new do -

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a list of GERRRRRREAT TECHNO SONGS!

Confusion - DJ Caffine

Play It Loud - (Dj Signum's Warped Remix)

Time - 4 clubbers

Techno Rocker - (Warp Brothers Remix)

Narcotic – Global DJs

Take me – Nightcore

Ravers Fantasy – Tune Up!

Leave a comment if you want some other good techno experiences XD

BTW, I'm going to be adding some character sheets to my account, but none are up yet. Check it out anyways –

thouartgoth./art/Iki-Aoao-95113060


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